Whistleblower reportedly testified Kushner denied security clearance due to foreign ties, personal conduct

The person identified as "Senior White House Official 1" in the transcript of testimony by a government whistleblower is President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, The Washington Post reports.

During her interview last month with House Oversight Committee staffers, Tricia Newbold from the White House's personnel security office said she and other career officials determined that "Senior White House Official 1" had too many "significant disqualifying factors" to receive a security clearance; they were specifically concerned about his private business interests, personal conduct, and potential foreign influence, people who viewed committee documents released this week told the Post. Newbold said they were overruled by the office's former director, Carl Kline, a Trump appointee.

Newbold also said that since last year, 25 people have received clearances or access to national security information, despite warnings about their criminal conduct, drug use, financial problems, and foreign ties.

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Earlier this year, several news outlets reported that even though intelligence officials raised the alarm about Kushner, Trump ordered his former chief of staff, John Kelly, give his son-in-law top-secret security clearance.